[Hiring] Owners Engineer - BESS @Werkie

Role Description

Our client is an innovative clean energy developer, offering custom solar, energy storage, and microgrid solutions to help businesses reduce costs and environmental impact. They manage projects from engineering to installation, making sustainable energy accessible and financially rewarding.

LOCATION: Remote

Key Responsibilities

• Review BESS design packages and engineering deliverables, including 30%, 60%, 90%, and IFC submissions, as applicable.
• Review electrical single-line diagrams, equipment layouts, cable schedules, grounding, protection and controls, medium-voltage collection systems, transformers, switchgear, and substation interfaces.
• Assess system architecture, battery configuration, PCS sizing, auxiliary loads, HVAC and thermal management, fire protection, and plant integration.
• Identify design gaps, constructability concerns, technical deviations, scope gaps, and lifecycle operational risks.
• Maintain technical comment logs and track resolution of material issues; provide clear recommendations to Nofar engineering leadership.
• Review technical submittals for batteries, PCS, EMS, SCADA, plant controllers, transformers, switchgear, and balance-of-plant equipment.
• Evaluate usable energy, capacity, round-trip efficiency, degradation assumptions, auxiliary consumption, availability guarantees, warranties, and augmentation requirements.
• Assess compatibility across battery, PCS, controls, protection, communications, and utility interfaces.
• Evaluate proposed substitutions, deviations, and alternatives for impacts on CAPEX, schedule, performance, reliability, and lifecycle cost.
• Support owner equipment selection and procurement decisions with independent technical assessments when requested.
• Review EPC and engineering consultant submissions for alignment with the company's technical requirements and approved project basis.
• Evaluate RFIs, design changes, technical deviations, nonconformances, and proposed field modifications.
• Identify engineering deliverables that may affect procurement, construction, commissioning, or commercial operation.
• Support technical evaluation of change orders, claims, and scope gaps without assuming contractual approval authority.
• Escalate unresolved issues and material technical or commercial risks to the CTO or designated engineering leadership.
• Review interconnection design, reactive power capability, power factor, voltage regulation, frequency response, and plant controller interfaces.
• Review protection and control schemes, relay coordination, short-circuit, grounding, and applicable power system studies.
• Assess EMS, SCADA, utility communications, telemetry, and controls integration.
• Track applicable utility, ISO/RTO, interconnection agreement, and grid compliance requirements.
• Support review of inverter-based resource models, grid performance testing, and outstanding requirements affecting energization or commercial operation.
• Review commissioning plans, FAT/SAT procedures, integrated system tests, capacity tests, efficiency tests, and contractual performance demonstrations.
• Assess installation quality records, nonconformance reports, punch lists, and technical items affecting acceptance.
• Support technical troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, warranty claims, equipment failures, and corrective action plans.
• Review operating data, alarms, availability, degradation, auxiliary consumption, and performance trends.
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, maintainability, availability, and lifecycle cost.
• Maintain a consolidated BESS portfolio engineering issues register covering design, equipment, EPC, interconnection, safety, commissioning, warranty, and operational matters.
• Prioritize risks based on safety, financial exposure, schedule, performance, contractual implications, regulatory requirements, and operational consequences.
• Identify recurring issues across projects and recommend standardized solutions or preventive measures.
• Prepare concise weekly updates covering critical issues, overdue actions, emerging risks, and decisions required from leadership.
• Document technical assessments and recommendations so decisions and corrective actions are traceable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 4-7 years of relevant experience in utility-scale power generation, renewable energy, BESS engineering, electrical infrastructure, EPC execution, or independent engineering.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing utility-scale electrical designs and coordinating with EPC contractors, equipment suppliers, and engineering consultants.
• Practical knowledge of battery systems, PCS, medium-voltage systems, transformers, protection and controls, and plant integration.
• Ability to independently identify material technical risks and develop actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication with clear technical reporting and remote collaboration skills.
• Experience with U.S. utility-scale BESS projects, preferably projects exceeding 50 MW, including standalone and solar-plus-storage systems.
• Familiarity with Fluence, Sungrow, Tesla, Wärtsilä, or comparable BESS and PCS platforms.
• Experience with ERCOT, NYISO, PJM, or other U.S. grid operators.
• Knowledge of applicable NEC, NFPA, IEEE, UL, and other relevant U.S. codes and standards.
• Experience with performance guarantees, warranties, degradation, augmentation, commissioning, and operational troubleshooting.
• Experience with independent engineering reviews, lender technical due diligence, and owner-side project risk assessments.

Salary

R49 000 - R58 000 ($3000 - $3500)

Note you will be employed as an independent contractor and have to do your own taxes.